Duct tape crafts are my kind of crafts – fast & easy, yet they look pretty cool. I had a blast making Duct Tape Wreaths and Deco Spheres this summer, and it occurred to me that the duct tape deco spheres might make some pretty fun topiary trees. And then I saw the candy corn duct tape . . . I knew that Duct Tape Topiary Trees would be my next Halloween craft.

Zebra print Duct Tape Topiary Trees for everyday.

I made a trio of zebra print Duct Tape Topiaries for every day, and then by swapping out one for a Candy Corn Duct Tape Topiary, I have a pretty festive Halloween display. These are super-easy, so I hope you give them a whirl.

Sweet – the candy corn duct tape is perfect for a Halloween Duct Tape Topiary Tree.

To make a Duct Tape Topiary, you’ll need:

• STYROFOAM™ Brand Foam: 4” ball & 2-1/2” ball (or size to fit your pot)
• Duct tape
• Wood dowel, 6” x 5/8”
• Paint, brush-on or spray paint, in black, orange, or other color of your choice
• Terra cotta pot
• Shred, excelsior, or other material to cover the top of the pot (I used candy corn for the Halloween topiaries)
• Ribbon (optional)
• Low-temp glue gun
• Tools needed: Scissors; paintbrush (optional); Xacto™ knife

Here are the ingredients, more or less, that I used to make a Duct Tape Topiary Tree.

To make a Duct Tape Topiary:

1. Paint the wood dowel and the terra cotta pot black (or other color of your choice). Let paint dry.

2. Tear off a strip of duct tape approximately 18” long. Tear this strip into three, thin, 18” strips. Be careful that the strips don’t tangle with each other.

It’s easy to tear your duct tape into thin strips.

3. Wrap the strips around the ball till it’s covered.

4. Using Xacto knife, carefully cut an “x” through the duct tape in the bottom of the ball. Insert wood dowel through the “x” and into the foam ball. If needed, use the Xacto knife to carefully peel away the duct tape from the hole, and to start the hole in the foam ball. Remove the dowel, add a dab of glue, and reinsert the dowel.

5. Push the 2-1/2” ball down into the terra cotta pot. The top of the ball should be slightly below the rim of the pot. Insert the wood dowel down into the foam ball. If needed, start the hole with the Xacto knife. Remove the dowel, add glue, and reinsert the dowel. Note: Keeping the dowel and the topiary trees straight is really the hardest part of this project.

6. Add ribbon trim around the rim of the pot. Note: So that I could easily swap out the ribbon, I used just one glue dot on each end of the ribbon to attach it to the pot.

Now, what do you suppose those duct tape people have in mind for the holidays . . .

Happy duct tape crafting!

Sharon